Power morcellators are devices, used in laparoscopic surgery that morcellate, or cut tissue, into smaller pieces to allow for removal through small surgical access sites. Currently laparoscopic power morcellation for the removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) or uterine fibroids (myomectomy) in women is discouraged because, based on an analysis of currently available data, it may pose a risk of inadvertently spreading cancerous tissue, notably uterine sarcomas, beyond the uterus.
In trying to prevent the potential spread of cancerous tissue, morcellation receptacles have been designed to contain the specimen that is being cut and to remove the severed pieces as they are being cut. Current receptacles for laparoscopic surgery are used for retrieving specimen. They have an expandable and collapsing collar at the opening that is attached to a hanging bag that opens enough to accommodate the targeted tissue. Unfortunately, these current receptacles do not give the surgeon the room or visibility to perform power morcellation within them without the risk of severing the receptacle. Other receptacles are designed for morcellation with a hand held scalpel as opposed to power morcellation. These receptacles have the opening of the bag external to the cavity so that the tissue inside the receptacle can be visibly severed and removed through the expanded incision on the abdominal wall. An inflatable bag design was recently approved for use with both a handheld scalpel or power morcellator, but this bag's small opening significantly limits the use of a power morcellator and laparoscope because there is not sufficient room for the surgical cutting device to move and cut within the bag. Furthermore, this bag is inflatable and so severing or puncturing this bag would make it ineffective for its intended use. Preferred receptacles herein are not inflatable.
Accordingly there is a need in the art for receptacles configured to give the medical practitioner (e.g., surgeon) enough room and visibility to perform power morcellation, within them, using the spaced apart laparoscopic ports already in place for the intended surgical procedure, and that allows for improved handling and visibility of the specimen and decreases the likelihood of severing the receptacle. The following disclosure describes expanding/collapsing receptacles configured for use with power morcellators that address this need in the art.